Richard Blake Parker...On Twitter: @BlaekParker ... Att ended Fayetteville HS (AR) and University of Arkansas ... Converted to pitching in 2007 after starting professional career as position player in Cubs organization...Batted .224 (33/147) with 13 doubles, two home runs and 18 RBI in 46 games between Arizona Summer League Cubs and Class-A Peoria in 2006 ... Participated in Arizona Fall League in 2009 ... Blake and wife, Jordan, welcomed first child during 2017 offseason ... Originally signed by Cubs scout Brian Milner.
2017
Attended Spring Training with Angels as a non-roster invitee...Finished Spring with active streak of 17 consecutive outs recorded via strikeout and had contract selected Apr. 1...Made an Opening Day roster for first time in career ... Only member of Angels Opening Day bullpen to remain an active member of bullpen for entire season ... Had streak of 27 consecutive games (26.1 IP) at Angel Stadium without allowing an earned run snapped Aug. 5 vs. Oakland…Second longest streak all-time (28 game streak by Scott Downs Aug. 13, 2010-Sept. 24, 2011) ... Three earned runs allowed Aug. 5 vs. A's also snapped streak of 40 straight home games without allowing an earned run (third longest streak in Majors since at least 1913) ... Eight saves ranked second on Angels (Bud Norris - 19 saves)...Converted seven of eight save opportunities from Aug. 26 - end of season ... WHIP of 0.83 ranked tied for third among A.L. relievers ... Struck out 33.9% of batters faced...Fourth best rate for a reliever in franchise history (Francisco Rodriguez - 36.7% in 2004, Ernesto Frieri - 36.5% in 2012 and Troy Percival - 34.4% in 1996).
2016
Made 38 appearances with Triple-A Tacoma to begin season before making lone appearance with Seattle Aug. 4 (1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB) ... Claimed off waivers by Yankees Aug. 9 and made team debut Aug. 10 at Boston ... Earned first save as a Yankee Sept. 6 vs. Toronto and first win as a Yankee Sept. 27 vs. Boston ... Retired 12 of 17 first batt ers faced on season (70.6%) and stranded 14 of 19 inherited runners (73.7%).
2015
Did not appear in Majors...Limited to three games with Triple-A Iowa before having season-ending surgery to remove loose bodies in his right elbow...Was placed on disabled list Apr. 16 and underwent surgery June 16.
2014
Blake pitched in 18 games for the Cubs, spanning seven stints, going 1-1 with a 5.14 ERA (12 ER/21.0 IP)...Named a Pacific Coast League All-Star with Triple-A Iowa and finished 0-1 with a league-leading 25 saves and a 1.77 ERA (7 ER/35.2 IP) in 35 relief appearances for the I-Cubs...Walked just four batters and struck out 24, an average of six strikeouts per walk...Averaged 10.3 strikeouts per 9.0 innings with Chicago...Retired nine of 18 first batters faced with Chicago...Stranded all three of his inherited runners...Had a 3.09 ERA (4 ER/11.2 IP) in nine home games...Recorded a 7.71 ERA (8 ER/9.1 IP) in nine road outings...Tossed a career-high tying 2.0 innings of relief four times, and held the opponent scoreless in three of those outings...Last pitched 2.0 innings, September 7 vs. Pittsburgh...Finished his season with six-straight outings without allowing an earned run, September 9-27 (5.0 IP...Had a 6.75 ERA (12 ER/16.0 IP) in his first 12 games for the Cubs...Started the season with Iowa, and was recalled for the first time, April 13...Appeared in two games before he was optioned, April 24...Also had big league stints: May 27-29, July 6-10, July 26-30, August 1-5, August 21 and September 1 through the end of the season...Converted 25 of 27 save opportunities with Iowa...His 25 saves were seven more than the next closest reliever...Held Triple-A opponents to a .214 batting average.
2013
Blake began the year at Triple-A Iowa, but was selected to Chicago on June 1 and went on to post a 2.72 ERA (14 ER/46.1 IP) in 49 games for the Cubs, going 1-2 with a save and seven holds... Averaged 10.7 strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched, punching out 55 in 46.1 innings... Had a 1.67 ERA (5 ER/27.0 IP) in 28 home games ... posted a 4.19 ERA (9 ER/19.1 IP) in 21 road games... Recorded a 0.87 ERA (2 ER/20.2 IP) in 21 day games ... had a 4.21 ERA (12 ER/25.2 IP) in 28 night games... In 26 games against N.L. Central opponents, had a 2.31 ERA (6 ER/23.1 IP) with a 1-1 record... Retired 36 first batters faced in his 49 relief appearances... Stranded 15 of 21 inherited runners ... six times entered a game with multiple inherited runners and stranded all of them... Kept the opponent off the board in 35 of his 49 games... Recorded at least one strikeout in eight-straight games, June 11-July 2 (11 total)... Struck out a career-high three batters on three occasions: June 13 vs. the Reds, August 2 vs. the Dodgers and August 28 at the Dodgers... Recorded his first career save, June 29 in Seattle, protecting a 5-3 lead with a scoreless 11th inning... Earned his first career win, August 10 in St. Louis, throwing a scoreless seventh inning in the team's 6-5 win... Tossed a career-high 2.0 innings of relief four times, most recently done August 25 in San Diego... Allowed just two walks in his final 16 outings, August 22 through the end of the season, while striking out 20... Posted a 2.04 ERA (4 ER/17.2 IP) and recorded seven saves in 16 relief appearances with Iowa to begin the season ... struck out 26 and walked 10.
2012
Blake made his major league debut, but his season was cut short due to an injured elbow ... began the year at Triple-A Iowa, and was promoted to the Cubs, May 17 - made seven relief appearances ... twice landed on the 60-day disabled list: June 6-August 28 with a right elbow stress reaction and September 7-October 26 with a bone contusion in his right elbow. ...Had no record and a 6.00 ERA (4 ER/6.0 IP) in his seven outings with Chicago ... stranded all four inherited runners....Posted a 1.59 ERA (1 ER/5.0 IP) in his first six relief appearances prior to allowing three earned runs in 0.1 innings pitched, September 5 in Washington....Made his major league debut, May 17 vs. the Phillies ... allowed three unearned runs in 1.2 innings pitched out of the bullpen. ...Broke camp with Triple-A Iowa, and went 1-0 with five saves and a 2.08 ERA (3 ER/13.0 IP) in 13 appearances prior to his promotion to Chicago....Along with an eight-game injury rehabilitation appearance with Iowa from August 6-28, finished 1-1 with six saves and a 3.42 ERA (9 ER/23.2 IP) in 21 games for the I-Cubs....Limited right-handed hitters to a .143 batting average (7-for-49) while at Triple-A....Recorded a 0.79 ERA (1 ER/11.1 IP) in his first 11 relief appearances for the I-Cubs, April 7-May 8.
2011
Blake combined to post a 4-5 record with seven saves and a 3.23 ERA (27 ER/75.1 IP) in 53 games between Double-ATennessee and Triple-A Iowa...the 75.1 innings pitched were a career high, surpassing the 71.2 he tossed in 2008...His 53 relief appearances were just two shy of his career mark, set in2009...Began the campaign with Tennessee, posting a 4.13 ERA (11 ER/24.0IP) in 16 games...however, allowed seven of his 11 earned runs in onegame - he pitched to a 1.64 ERA (4 ER/22.0 IP) in his 15 other outings...Started the year with a 1.62 ERA (3 ER/16.2) in nine April games...Promoted to Iowa, May 18, and went on to go 3-3 with four saves and a2.81 ERA (16 ER/51.1 IP) in 37 games for the I-Cubs...Held left-handed hitters to a .154 batting average (12-for-78) at theTriple-A level...right-handed batters posted a .236 average (25-for-106)...In nine August contests, pitched to a 1.38 ERA (2 ER/13.0 IP) with foursaves...struck out 19 in 13.0 frames...Twice spun a season-high 3.0 innings of work.
2010
Began the season with Triple-A Iowa and was transferred to Double-A Tennessee, July 30...all told, went 1-5 with sevensaves and a 4.21 ERA (31 ER/66.1 IP) in 48 games out of the bullpen...Started the year with Iowa, and had a 1.04 ERA (2 ER/17.1 IP) in hisfirst 13 games through May 20...posted a 6.75 ERA (24 ER/32.0 IP)in his final 22 outings for the I-Cubs...Crafted a 2.65 ERA (5 ER/17.0 IP) in 13 games for the Smokies,picking up five saves in five chances...Limited Double-A batters to a .183 batting average (11-for-60), walkingjust six while striking out 25 in 17.0 innings...Allowed just three hits in 18 opponent at-bats with runners in scoringposition (.167)...Stranded all seven of his inherited runners while with Tennessee.
2009
Split time between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa, going a combined 2-3 with 25 saves and a 2.70 ERA (19 ER/63.1IP) in 55 relief appearances.... Opened the season at Tennessee, posting an impressive 1.46 ERA (2ER/12.1 IP) with no record and three saves in his first 10 appearances... fanned 19, while issuing just eight free passes ... went 3-for-3 in saveopportunities.... Held the opponent scoreless in nine of his 10 outings with the Smokies... surrendered two runs in 2.0 innings of work April 28 vs. Carolina.... Was promoted to Triple-A Iowa May 11, where he spent the rest of theseason ... compiled a 2-3 mark with 22 saves and a 3.00 ERA (17ER/51.0 IP) in 45 relief outings.... Allowed just three homers in 51.0 innings of work, striking out 58 comparedto 27 walks.... Led the I-Cubs, and ranked fifth in the Pacific Coast League, in saves ...the 22 saves tied for second-most among Iowa's single-season leaderswith Marc Pisciotta in 1997 ... converted his final 15 save opportunitieswith Iowa, July 2 through the end of the season.... Right-handed batters hit just .160 (16-for-100) with 35 strikeoutsagainst him ... held opponents to a .143 (6-for-42) average with runnersin scoring position.
2008
Combined to go 4-2 with a 2.13 ERA (17 ER/71.2 IP) and a .197 (50-for-254) batting average against in 45 games with Single-A Peoria, Triple-A Iowa and Single-A Daytona... Posted a 3-0 ledger with three saves and a 1.33 ERA (7 ER/47.1 IP) in23 games with Peoria, April 4-June 24.... Boasted a miniscule 0.38 ERA (1 ER/24.0 IP) in 12 home games withthe Chiefs.... Saw Triple-A action in just his second professional season, June 27-28,with Iowa ... surrendered two runs on one hit and two walks, while fanningthree in 3.0 innings of work (two games).... Tossed a 1.47 ERA (3 ER/18.1 IP) in nine June appearances betweenPeoria and Iowa, including a miniscule 0.59 ERA (1 ER/15.1 IP) in sevenoutings with the Chiefs.... Joined the Daytona Cubs, June 30 and remained with the squad for therest of the campaign ... went 1-2 with nine saves and a 3.38 ERA(8 ER/21.1 IP) in 20 relief appearances.... Held left-handed batters to a .179 (5-for-28) batting average with theCubs.
2007
Began his professional career going 2-0 with a 2.39 ERA (7 ER/26.1 IP) in 19 relief outings between Rookie-League Mesa andSingle-A Boise.
